Outboard motor support



May 16, 1950 E. D. REID 2,507,613

OUTBOARD MOTOR SUPPORT Filed July 19, 1948 Ja fiy" Z 7 EWZD QZ-d,

Patented May 16, 1950 PATENT OFFICE OUTBOARD Mo'ror't SUPPORT Earl D .-Reid;-Silver I Spring, Md: Amiiic'atio n 'July 1-9"; '1s4siseriei Nis'. 3.9;516 7 Claims: (01. 2 18 -4) a The prirhan urpcse-"= of the invention I is to provide 'aL ncvel" type of Outward mister support particularly adapted for use upon small selilizi'g The attachm'ent of alii'outbdard motor to: the":

of tti'e 's't'er'fr'or transomresents a free; 2ind uri'- obstructed edgecVer whiCh the butbda'rd motor bracket -proper, 'rfiay'hoek and"be securedhy the m'g beeis (if the" cemet; sfii'pe aIidStafr classesport with a' pcr atteehedfslicwh' m sectidrig matter described? '5 is" a"frhgriieiithiylon'gitudiutil sectional view through the bracket'b'f- 'Figd;

Fig. 6 is aside View of a shoulder pad for use carrying the outboard mbtcrand the suppc'rt" of this'i ventio'n; upon the shoulder;

Fig; '7 is an end view' of the shoulder pad Liknu'nie'rais designate correspohdiih'gparts tiiroughcutthe' severalvieivsof the drawing-. 4 The difficultyinherent in; apiolyihg eui outbbammotersuppoit'm a smefl'sei-ling bcatoi the type described; arises from fact that the upper edge of them-amen: or'st'ernfi is usu" ally flush With ashort deck 5", this deck extend ihg-" fbrwerdly to thecoaming I, which surrounds theentr'y tb the c'cckpit'fi'i It is desirable in providing an outboard motor support for vesselsof this" character to so'-* ccte struct the device that easily 'and quickl'y'jreindved. Itis also"- d'esirabie the? the supports for'mo'unting the motor with relation: to the-boat beF'Of such -anatui'e as to" distribute the strain over-a -c0'nsidera'ib1e1' area-p iri'view of th very light'materials 01 which these boats are constructed? Withthese" ends in vie'w" I mount'upon the*bdat'twc' brackets; to wit: an forward-"bracket"9"'e,nd= a*rear bracketdli. The forward bracket 9* hasan op'ehing I 1 "formed" therein:and-this*bracket' is-secured approximately"- at the' seaming??? It may =1ie 'direct137 behind-the An: elongated" bar *IE df a'lengtii to extendfirdm the bracket 9 "t'o' a; point rearwardly of th bracket I ii' has its fcrward endf sheped to enga e inthe-opening I If as indicatedi'ri Fig;i: 3. By reference'ftdthat figure it will be -se'en" t'hitthe-zinner end 2 Of the" coa'miiig as illustrated in Figii lr ban 'is teipered as indicated et l 3 so that it" will have wedg ing action in opening II- and thus be free-renewal" are"piifdtifliyccrihec'ted to the outer en the en I2f st'duvb'inding 'bolt 38' and an a'dizistifi'g blccifi fs I is disposed-between the Y plates 28 and is pivotally mounted upon a bolt 32. This bolt may take into any one of the openings 33 and thus provide for shifting the position of the block 3! However it will be noted that the bolt 32 which passes through block 32 does not pass centrally therethrough but upon the contrary is ofiset to one side thereof. Therefore by tuning this block upon the bolt the block may be thrown to varying positions of adjustment to provide a rest upon which the bar !2 will engage. Thus the angle of the board 23 with respect to the angle of the transom 5 may be adjusted to fit the particular boat upon which the device is being used.

While I have referred to the element 23 as being a board, it is to be understood that it may be made of any suitable material. However I prefer to make it of relatively thick plywood so that it will conform in dimensions to the conventional stems of small boats and therefore be adapted to receive the bracket of practically any type of small outboard motor. The brackets 9 and Ill are the only portions of the structure which are permanently attached to the boat. The bracket 9 is secured by screws 9a which are preferably countersunk while the bracket I0 is secured by screws I 0a, [0b. The screw I la secures the forward portion of the bracket to the deck 6 while the screws Hlb fit into the upper edge of the transom 5. Thus when applying the support to a boat it is only necessary for the user to slip the forward end of the bar l2 into the forward bracket 9 and to then drop the rear portion of the bar into the bracket l0 and put the wedge plate in position. This can be done after the outboard motor has been mounted upon the board 23 so that this simple act attaches the outboard motor to the boat. While the boat may be steered by turning the outboard motor with respect to its bracket 24 in a usual and known way I may, if desired, dispose the structure herein described slightly to one side of the center of the boat and leave the conventional rudder which, is usually hung upon the rudder irons 34, in place. The boat can then be steered by its conventional rudder and tiller. In transporting the supporting device of this invention, and the outboard motor, from its place of storage to and from the boat I may utilize the shoulder engaging pad illustrated in Figs. 6 and '7. curved plate having a cushioning pad 36 upon its under face and having upon its upper face the spaced studs 37 between which the bar 12 may be engaged. These studs are connected by a cap plate 38. The studs are spaced far enough apart to permit the bar 12 to fit loosely therebetween and thus the shoulder pad is permitted to find that position on the shoulder which is most comfortable to the user. It is to be understood that in use the thrust of the propeller acts against the rear face of the board 23 and that the ener y is transmitted through the plates 28, block 3|, bar [2 and the brackets by which the bar is carried, to the boat. After the several parts have once been adjusted to the particular boat upon which the device is being used they may be bound in such adjusted position by the tightening of the several bolts. For example the pivot bolt 38 and its nut, 38a, may be tightened after the block 3| is adjusted in the proper position. Thereafter the angular relation between I2 and 28 need not be disturbed. In like manner the vertical adjustment of 23 with respect to the plates 28 may be made permanent by tightening the bolts 21. In removing the structure it is only necessary to This constitutes merely a tap the wedge plate 2| endwise to free it of its engagement with the bracket 10, whereupon the bar may be lifted slightly to disengage boss l8 from the relatively shallow recess l9 and then the bar may be slipped endwise far enough to disengage the forward end of the bar from the opening As far as I am aware I am the first to thus mount an outboard motor supporting structure upon the end of an elongated bar which bar in turn engages brackets spaced in considerably separated relation upon the rear deck of a small craft of this type. It is this arrangement which distributes the strain over a considerable area. Therefore it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction set forth but that it includes within its purview whatever changes fairly come within either the terms or the spirit of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim is:

1. An outboard motor supporting structure comprising an elongated bar, a forward, boat carried, bracket into which the forward end of said bar fits, a rear, boat carried, bracket comprising a channeled member through which said bar passes, interengaging members carried by the bar and rear bracket for preventing endwise movement of the bar through said rear bracket, a closure for the top of the rear bracket for holding the bar against upward movement out of said bracket, a thrust piece dimensioned to have the conventional bracket of an outboard motor engaged therewith and means for suspending said thrust piece from the outer end of said bar.

2. A structure as recited in claim 1 wherein the suspending means comprises elements for pivotally mounting the said thrust piece with respect to the outer end of the elongated bar, and binding means for binding the thrust piece in varying positions of vertical adjustment about the pivot point and with respect to said bar.

3. A structure as recited in claim 1 wherein the holding means for holding the bar in the rear bracket comprises a wedge and ways upon the bracket in which said wedge slides, said ways being inclined to an extent to cause the wedge to move forcibly downward upon the bar and bind the same in the bracket.

4. A structure as recited in claim 1 wherein the holding means for holding the bar in the rear bracket comprises a pressure element adapted to force the bar downwardly in the bracket to hold the same against rattling.

5. In an outboard motor support of the character described, an elongated bar, a front bracket with which the forward end of the bar has rigid engagement, a rear bracket having an open top channel formed lengthwise therethrough through which the bar passes, a pressure means engaged in the bracket above said bar for forcing the bar downwardly into said bracket, interengaging means between the bracket and the bar for holding the bar against endwise movement with respect to the bracket, a pair of downwardly and rearwardly extending plates between which the rear end of said bar is pivoted the distance between such pivot point and the point of engagement of the bar in the rear bracket being very much less than the distance from said point of engagement to the forward bracket, and supporting means for an outboard motor carried by said plates.

6. In an outboard motor supporting structure of the character described the combination with an elongated bar, means for mounting said bar upon the stern of a boat with the bar extending fore and aft over the rear portion of the deck of the boat adjacent the stern thereof and with the rear end of the bar projecting beyond the stern of the boat, a pair of downwardly and out wardly extending plates between which the rear end of said bar is pivoted and an angular block having a plurality of straight sides eccentrically pivoted and mounted between said plates and underlying said bar in a position to have its straight side engage the under side of said bar and a thrust element to which the lower outer ends of said plates are rigidly connected, said element being shaped and dimensioned to have the conventional bracket of an outboard motor engage therewith and to receive the thrust of said motor in action.

'7. An outboard motor supporting structure for boats of the type comprising a transom, a coaming surrounding a cockpit and a deck extending from the transom to the coaming, said supporting structure comprising a bar of a length to extend lengthwise of the boat from the coaming to a point beyond the transom, a front bracket mounted adjacent the coaming and shaped to receive the forward end of said bar, a rear bracket having an open top channel therein dimensioned to receive said bar and secured to the deck and transom, a pressure means engaged in the bracket above said bar for forcing the bar downwardly into said bracket, interengaging means between the bracket and the bar for holding the bar against endwise movement with respect to the bracket, a pair of downwardly and rearwardly extending plates between which the rear end of said bar is pivoted the distance between such pivot point and the point of engagement of the bar in the rear bracket being very much less than the 1 distance from said point of engagement to the forward bracket, a thrust board dimensioned to receive the thrust from an outboard motor and to have the conventional bracket of the outboard motor engaged over the upper edge thereof and means for securing the thrust board to the lower outer ends of said plates.

EARL D. REID.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,106,954 Caille June 23, 1914 1,118,208 cLaren Nov. 24, 1914 1,799,650 Schoenburg Apr. 7, 1931 2,068,982 Harvey Jan. 26, 1937 

